Daily Current Affairs MCQ- May 5, 2023 - UPSC MCQ

A new study notes that the suitable habitat for hijol to grow in the India-Bangladesh landscape may shrink by 50.5% due to rainfall and temperature changes.

About Hijol:

• Hijol, or Indian oak, is a medium-sized evergreen tree.
• Scientific Name: Barringtonia acutangula
• Common names: Hijal, Hijangal, Hendol, Stream Barringtonia, Itchy Tree.
• Distribution:
• It is native to coastal wetlands in southern Asia and northern Australasia.
• This species grows on the banks of freshwater rivers, the edges of freshwater swamps and lagoons and on seasonally flooded lowland plains, commonly on heavy soils. 
• It is commonly found in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna basin.
• Features:
• This plant is a big tree that grows to about 8–15 m high. 
• Its leaves are thick, smooth and oval in shape, about 8–12 cm long and 4–5 cm wide, with reddish petioles about 0.5–1.0 cm long.
• Flowers are small, pink to red, sub-sessile, and purple-red with numerous stamens.
• Medicinal uses:
• Its bark has tannin, which is useful for heart diseases. 
• Powder of seeds works as an expectorant and is applied to cure the cough of children.
• Tonic is prepared from leaves and roots. Fish poison is also prepared from its roots. 

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

India recently rejected a report by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) that alleged "severe violations" of religious freedom in the country.

About U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF):

• It is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity created by the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA).
• Functions:
• Reviews the facts and circumstances of violations of religious freedom internationally;
• Make policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and the Congress;
• It uses international standards to monitor religious freedom violations globally.
• It is required to issue its own annual report setting forth its independent recommendations for U.S. policy
• Composition: USCIRF has nine commissioners, appointed by either the President or Congressional leaders of each political party, supported by a non-partisan professional staff. 

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) is undertaking a third-party assessment of the Rs 945-crore Startup India Seed Fund Scheme to see its impact on the ground.

About Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS):

• It is a flagship scheme launched in April 2021 under the Startup India initiative.
• Aim: Financial assistance to startups for proof of concept, prototype development, product trials, market entry, and commercialization.
• It is implemented with effect from 1st April 2021 for the period of 4 years with a corpus of Rs.945 crores.
• Nodal Department: Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
• Funding:
• An Experts Advisory Committee (EAC) has been created by DPIIT to execute and monitor the SISFS.
• The EAC will select eligible incubators who will be provided grants of upto Rs 5 Crores each.
• In turn, the selected incubators will provide startups with up to Rs 20 lakhs for validation of Proof of Concept, prototype development, and product trials to startups.
• Eligibility criteria for Startups:
• A startup recognized by DPIIT incorporated not more than 2 years ago at the time of application.
• The startup must have a business idea to develop a product or a service with a market fit, viable commercialization, and scope of scaling.
• The startup should be using technology in its core product or service, or business model, or distribution model, or methodology to solve the problem being targeted.
• Startup should not have received more than Rs 10 lakh of monetary support under any other Central or State Government scheme. 
• Shareholding by Indian promoters in the startup should be at least 51% at the time of application to the incubator for the scheme.

Hence both statements are correct.

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh recently said that "Mission Karmayogi", launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, had institutionalised the process of capacity building, particularly for the benefit of civil servants, with the aim to shape the Century India of 2047.

• Mission Karmyogi or National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building (NPCSCB).
• Mission Karmayogi aims to prepare Civil Servants for the future by making them more creative, constructive & innovative through transparency and technology.
• This unique programme will help to lay the foundation for civil servants in the country.
• There will be more focus on 'on-site learning' in complementing "off-site learning".
• Objectives:
  • The stated aim of Mission Karmayogi is to provide a mechanism to continuously build capacity, update the talent pool, and provide equal opportunities for personal and professional growth and esteem of government officials at all levels.
  • Karmayogi seeks to shift the focus from rule-specific to role-specific.
  • The Mission will help training the officers to meet the challenges of the society.
  • It aims at building future-ready civil service with the right attitude, skills & knowledge, aligned to the vision of New India.
  • The endeavour is also to end the culture of working in the silos and to overcome the multiplicity of training curriculum because of the institutions spread all over the country.
  • It will improve the Human Resource management practices in the Government and will use scale & state of the art infrastructure to augment the capacity of Civil Servants.
• Executing Bodies:
  • It will be steered by four new bodies.
  • The new entities will be a Prime Minister’s Public Human Resources Council, a Capacity Building Commission, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) that will own and operate the digital assets and technological platform for online training, and a Coordination Unit, which will be headed by the Cabinet Secretary.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance, has launched the scheme, “Vivad se Vishwas I – Relief to MSMEs” for providing relief to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) for COVID-19 period.

• The scheme was announced in the Union Budget 2023-24 
• The scheme is modelled on a similar 'Sabka Vishwas Scheme' for indirect taxes announced in 2019.
• The scheme provides for settlement of disputed tax, interest, penalty etc. and grant immunity from any proceeding for prosecution for any offence under the Income-tax Act in respect of matters covered in the declaration.
• Under the scheme, Ministries have been asked to refund performance security, bid security and liquidated damages forfeited/ deducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Certain relief has also been provided to MSMEs debarred for default in execution of contracts during the COVID-19 period.
• The Ministry of Finance, through this scheme, decided to give following additional benefits to eligible MSMEs, affected during the COVID-19 period:
• 95% of the performance security forfeited shall be refunded.
• 95% of the Bid security shall be refunded.
• 95% of the Liquidated Damages (LD) deducted shall be refunded.
• 95% of the Risk Purchase amount realized shall be refunded.
• In case any firm has been debarred only due to default in execution of such contracts, such debarment shall also be revoked, by issuing an appropriate order by the procuring entity.
  • However, in case a firm has been ignored for placement of any contract due to debarment in the interim period (i.e. date of debarment and the date of revocation under this order), no claim shall be entertained.
• No interest shall be paid on such refunded amount.

Hence both statements are correct.

The growth of ethanol sector has been tremendous which has set a sort of example for the world, said Shri Piyush Goyal, Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Textiles and Commerce and Industry while addressing one day seminar on ‘National Seminar on Maize to Ethanol’ organized by Department of Food and Public Distribution here recently.

• Ethanol is an agricultural by-product which is mainly obtained from the processing of sugar from sugarcane, but also from other sources such as rice husk or maize.
• Since ethanol is produced from plants that harness the power of the sun, it is also considered as renewable fuel.
• In India, ethanol is mainly produced from sugarcane molasses by fermentation process.
• Ethanol blending is the process of combining ethanol and petrol to use less fossil fuel while driving a vehicle.
• To supplement ethanol supplies, the Government of India has permitted the procurement of ethanol produced from sources other than molasses, which is known as first generation ethanol or 1G.
• Aside from molasses, ethanol can be derived from rice straw, wheat straw, maize cobs, corn stover, bagasse, bamboo and woody biomass, which are known as second generation ethanol sources or 2G.

Hence both statements are correct.

Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), New Delhi recently celebrated its Diamond Jubilee on its 60th Foundation Day.

• The Ministry of Education, Government of India (GoI), has established National Testing Agency (NTA) as an independent, autonomous and self sustained premier organization under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, registered as a self-reliant and self-sustained premier testing organization.
• The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) was established in 1963 as an autonomous body under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry to contribute in the skill building for the external trade sector of India.
• The Institute was granted “Deemed to be University” status in 2002.
• The Institute was granted the prestigious AACSB accreditation on 17th November, 2021.
• With this the IIFT figures amongst 900+ Business School of the world which have earned this accreditation.
• The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) has recognized IIFT as Grade ‘A’ Institution in 2005 as well as in 2015.

Hence both statements are correct.

India to launch its own heat index next year to quantify heat hazard, generate impact-based heat wave alerts for specific locations.

• Heat index is a measure of how hot it feels when humidity is factored in along with the air temperature, and the figures were calculated using data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
• It is also known as the apparent temperature.
• When the body gets too hot, it begins to perspire or sweat to cool itself off.
• If the perspiration is not able to evaporate, the body cannot regulate its temperature.
• Evaporation is a cooling process. When perspiration is evaporated off the body, it effectively reduces the body's temperature. When the atmospheric moisture content (i.e. relative humidity) is high, the rate of evaporation from the body decreases.
• In other words, the human body feels warmer in humid conditions. The opposite is true when the relative humidity decreases because the rate of perspiration increases.
• The body actually feels cooler in arid conditions.
• There is direct relationship between the air temperature and relative humidity and the heat index, meaning as the air temperature and relative humidity increase (decrease), the heat index increases (decreases).

Hence both statements are correct.

Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya recently reviewed the ‘Food Street Project’.

• It is aimed at developing 100 healthy and hygienic food-streets across the country.
• The project seeks to encourage safe and healthy food practices, reduce foodborne illnesses and improve overall health outcomes.
• To operationalize the food streets, the National Health Mission will provide assistance of one crore rupees per food street.
• Financial assistance would be provided for activities such as the provision of safe drinking water, hand washing, toilet facilities, and appropriate liquid and solid waste disposal.
• The initiative will be implemented through NHM in convergence with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
• The Health Ministry has taken various steps to improve the hygiene and food safety standards protocols for food street hubs.
• These initiatives include training of food handlers, independent third-party audits, and certification under the Clean Street Food Hub initiative of the Eat Right India movement.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

India's G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant has said that the tourism sector is not only a driver of growth but also a driver of job creation and employment.

• Who are they? A Sherpa is a personal representative of the leader of a member country at an international Summit meeting such as the G8, G20, the Nuclear Security Summit etc.
• Task: The Sherpa engages in planning, negotiation and implementation tasks through the Summit. They coordinate the agenda, seek consensus at the highest political levels, and participate in a series of pre-Summit consultations to help negotiate their leaders’ positions.
• Who are appointed Sherpas? Sherpas are career diplomats or senior government officials appointed by the leaders of their countries.
• Etymology: The term is derived from the Nepalese Sherpa people, who serve as guides for mountaineers in the Himalayas.

Hence both statements are correct.